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L. I. BODENHAMER.

GAR COUPLING. v v No. 279,217. Patented June 12,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ LEVI I. BODENHAMER, OF KERNERSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,217, dated June 12, 1883. Application filed August 21, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnvr Isaac BoDEN- HAMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kernersville, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Gouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to car-couplings, particularly to that class which are intended to couple automatically as the cars come together; and my said invention consists, first, in a novel provision at the mouth of the drawhead, whereby the coupling together of cars of equal height, or a high and low car, may be effected and the link guided into place without going between the cars, this being accomplished by a plate hinged to the lower front edge of the draw-head, said plate being made to fold back within the mouth of the draw head as the cars come together, and adapted to be thrown forward and lift the couplinglink upward, thus guiding it in place in the opposite draw-head; second, in a peculiar novel construction and arrangement of the device or means for holding the coupling-link within the draw-head, said device or means being composed of a peculiar-shaped bar or latch-piece pivoted to the top front portion of the draw-h ead, provided with a seat at its lower rear portion, into which the coupling-link rests and against which it draws, the rod upon which the gravitating coupling-bar or latchpiece is held having short rearwardly-extending arms attached thereto, which act as additional weights or levers to keep the couplingbar or latch-piece down in place.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 will be found to represent a vertical central longitudinal section and side elevation of my improved form of coupling and link-guiding device; Fig. 2, a detached view of the link-raiser, and Fig. 3 a detached view of the gravitating coupling-bar or latchpiece.

A is the draw-head, to the top interior front portion of which is secured the latch-piece or bar B, for securing the link 0 within the drawhead. The draw-head A has the usual-shaped flaring mouth. Transversely through the interior front portion of the draw-head, just beneath the top wall thereof, passes a rod, b, upon which the latch-piece B is secured. This rod 1) is secured in a channel on the under surface of the top of the draw-head, which forms the bearings thereof, and at each end of said rod are secured short rearwardlyextending arms, D D, with eyes (I at their outer ends, which arms act as additional weights or levers to the coupling latchpiece, and form a means by which to operate the coupling latclrpiece to uncouple the cars.

\Vithin the interior top portion of the drawhead is formed a recess or chamber, A, which receives the coupling latch-piece B, when said latch-piece is in its elevated posit-ion. hen down in place the lower end of thelatch-piece rests in a recess, A, in the lower part of the draw-head. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the means for holding the couplinglink in placethe coupling latch-piece, as I term itis formed with a straight front edge or face, a, which at the lower end terminates in a flat inclined end, a, which rests square upon the bottom of the recess formed in the bottom of the draw-head. At the rear of the 1atch-piece is a projecting portion, which, with the end portion (15, forms a shouldered seat, against which the link has its bearings. The obj ect of thus forming the coupling latchpiece is to provide a direct bearing thereon for the coupling-link, and to confine said couplinglink to its place upon the latch and prevent it from slipping up against the top of the drawhead. By reason of this shouldered seat a (1 on the latch-piece B the draft is more direct and positive, and the tendency to break this piece is therefore diminished and the close and rigid coupling together of the cars better effect ed. hen the coupling latch-piece is in position, with its end resting up on the recess in the lower part of the draw-head, it will be seen that the top part of the projecting portion a rests about flush with or slightly within the recess formed in the top of the draw-head. Because of this the coupling-link is prevented from slipping up or riding upon the latch-piece and V wedging itself between the latch-piece and upper part of the draw-head; also, by reason of the recess formed in the top of the drawhead for the latch-piece and its pivot-bolt, the parts are more out of the way and less liable to injury. So, also, by reason of the entire parts being protected or under shelter beneath the edge of the draw-head, the clogging of the parts by ice, dust, &c., is prevented.

To further add to the effectiveness of the apparatus and insure the entrance of the link within the draw-head, whether high or low cars come together, and without the necessity of going between the cars, the lower portion of the mouth of the draw-head is provided wit-h a link raiser and guide, G, Fig. 2, which consists of a plate, G, with slotted end se cured upon a shaft, S, which passes transversely through the lower front edge of the draw-head. This shaft has a handle, S, at one or both ends, by which the plate G is raised or lowered at the side of the car, and without going between the same. Thus danger of injury be cause of going between the cars to guide the coupling-link is removed. At the lower part of the guiding-plate G is formed a stop, lf, which strikes against the shoulder i on the draw-head and prevents the too far forward movement of the plate. The object of this plate is to form a means whereby to guide the coupling-link into an approaching draw-head without going between the cars. This is accomplished by manipulating the handle S, which raises the plate G, and the link O,Iresting in the slotted end 9, is carried upward any desired degree, as is apparent. By reason of the link resting in the slotted plate, it is held straight or in line and prevented from swaying to one side.

Because of the form of the coupling latchpiece, secure bearing for the link is the result, and the parts are made strong, and not liable to become disarranged and clogged. Being within the mouth of thedraw-head, the parts are better protected from the action of the weather and accidents.

By reason of the recessin the bottom of the draw-head, which receives the lower end of the latch-piece, the coupling-link is prevented from getting beneath the end of said latchpiece and slipping past the same. In other words, accidental uncoupling of the cars because of the jolting of the latch-piece above the link is prevented. I

Having thus described my invention, its operation, advantages, &c., what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. I11 a car-coupling, the plate G, hinged to the lower front edge of the mouth of the drawhead, and adapted to fold back therein, having slots 1 g at its top end to receive the couplinglink, and a stop, I, toprevent its too far forward movement, combined with a handled pivot, S S, by which it is operated, and a draw-head with inclined mouth, and shoulder 47, to receive the plate G, as hereinbefore de scribed, for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling, in combination with the draw-head having recess A in its top interior surface and recess A at its bottom, the coupling latch-piece B, pivoted to the top interior front end of the draw-head, with straight front v face, a, tapered end a a, and rear shoulder, a and pivotbolt b, having arms D at each side of the draw-head, for the purposes described.

3. The combination and arrangement, in a car-coupling, of draw-head A, having recess A at its top and recess A at its bottom, latchpiece B, with straight face a, tapered end a. a, and shoulder c plate G, with slots g g at its top end and stop I at its bottom, handled pivotbolts D (Z and S S, for operating the coupling latch-piece B and link-guiding plate G, re-

spectively, as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI ISAAC BODENHAMER. \Vitnesses:

' J. H. Monnis,

J. M. BODENHAMER. 

